Improvement in gathering device for sewing-machines



Gathering Device for Sewing Machines.

. DAVIS.

.Patent ed Aug. 30, 1870.

fiver afar N. PETERs PhctwLhbognpMr. Wnnhinglnn, D. C.

' of the sewing-machine.

knife, and O the slotted lever,

map sT'AT' s PATENT OFFroE.

JOB A. DAVIS, or WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATHERING DEVICE FOR SEWiNG-MA C HI NES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 106,788, dated August 30, 1870'; antedated August 17,1870;

To all whom it mag concern:

specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My present invention is an improvement upon thesewing-machine gathering apparatus patented to me July 27, 1869, No. 93,063, and has for its object the more positive and certain action of the gathering-knife, and also the providing of means whereby the relative lengths of the band or ungathcred fabric, and ofthe piece or strip to be gathered and secured thereto by stitching, may be determined and made proportionate to the length or degree of gather, as the same may be varied. It consists in the combination of two inclined wedge-edged yielding pieces, the one of which, in its reciprocatious, rides over. and under the other to assist in giving the mo ements to the gathering knife, and in the combination with such knife of an adjustable graduating lever and its slide, and a graduated scale.

Figure l is a side view, and Fig. 2 a similar view, of my device, the parts in the first figure being shown as they appear when the knifeedge is forward, and in the latter figure as they appear when forced backward by the downward movement of the needle bar or arm Fig. 3 is a plan or top view, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view in the line a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detached view, showing the side of the slide which is operated by the graduating-lever.

The general features of the entire apparatus ,7 need not be particularly described, as they are in the main similar to those in my abovenamed patent, somewhat modified in form to adapt them to the present improvements, A being the bed-plate, B the gatheringreceivin-g its downward motion to force back the knife directly from the needle bar or arm of the sewing-machine, and getting its upward motion indirectly from the spring D, which directly forces downward and forward thegatherin'gknifeto efiect the gathering of the cloth.

which served the'purpose of pushing'backthe" knife, and incidentally liftingit during such back motion, I connect to the outer extremity of such shorter arm, by a pivot, a piece, E, having a longitudinal slot, 6, in its forward end, which permits it to ride a little upon a pin,f,

upon one side of the knife bar or shank F, the piece E having a side projection, g, which has a slight forward inclination to the horizon,

and tapering both at its forward and rear edges, so that its rear edge shall always pass over, and its front edge shall always pass under, a similar inclined projection, h, upon a spring-piece, G, secured to the bed-plate, as

shown at 6. By means of this construction a positive action is secured, notwithstanding each wedge-piece has a yielding support.

The slote is so made as to its length and position that the gathering-edge of knife is actually lifted vertically from the cloth before it is moved horizontally, this lift being given by the riding up of the wedge-piece 9 upon the top of the wedge-piece It, after which lift, as soon as the forward end of the slot acts upon the pinf, the backward movementof the knife commences.

The graduating mechanism is as follows: H is a sliding piece, fitted to slide in suitable ways in the frame, and having toward its forward end an incline, j, on its vertical side. This slide is connected by a pivot to a graduating-lever,I, turningon acenter pin or screw,

k, the lever being provided with a detaining or stop pin on its under side, to enter one or other of the holes 1, 2, 3, &c., in the bed-plate. This graduating-lever effects the variation of the size of the gather to be made thusz The lever, being shifted by hand, carries forward or backward, as desired, the slide and its incline j, thus determining the period at which the gathering-knife in its forward movement shall drop down from the ledge land begin its gathering action upon the upper strip of fabric. As long as the knife is lifted by theledge,

no gathering can take place. The traverse or reciprocating motion of the gatherer does not vary in its extent, but is always the same.

The position of the incline alone controls the size of the gather,-and byprevionsly gradua ati'n'g the-scale properly and accuratelywitln regard to the fineness or coarseness of the gather, the operator is enabled to regulate: the apparatus so as to measure with precision the proportion of clothwtorbetakennrp imgfathaf ering relatively to the nil-gathered piece, and" therefore so to cut their lengths before they are put into the machine: thatiwhenrwork is:

done the ends of the two pieces shall come out evenly together. For instance, a given number of stitchesto theinelrbeing; known-say? twenty,) and the graduating-lever being set at l on the scale, it will give a quarter full uess tothe gather--th-at is-,;.founinchesi-w-ilhber gathered-down. to three inches ofit the band-1;; if set'at figure 2 06 thesealekitgwilli gathento' one-half -that is, two incliesof new: will: he,

; and thmgrmluated scalegaswbstantially as set forth. JQB- DAVIS-,-

, Witnesses'a:-.

' Jomvz: J Hamel),- J E. BEALEL-U ;the adjustable graduatingelevemandi-its slide, 

